Boat Landing at Star Island, Isles of Shoals, c1910, Library of Congress
My earliest New Hampshire ancestors hailed from the Isles of Shoals, off the coast of New Hampshire (or Maine, depending on your perspective). I have often pondered on their origin, as the surnames are not found on any known ship list. They could have been servants of David Thompson (1623). Perhaps they were Spanish or Portuguese fishermen who arrived early and remained on the new continent (DNA from the Iberian Peninsula shows up as part of my ancient ancestry).
An important part of genealogy is to study the history in which your ancestor lived. I came upon an 1882 story of the Isles of Shoals in a newspaper [The New York Times, 25 July 1882, page 5 ] that I found to be the best description of the area with its history. Even though written 100 years after my ancestors were removed from the Isles during the American Revolution, this story provides me (and you) with intriguing insight into the Isles of Shoals and its people. Continue reading
